The first news in the media appeared timidly. The information on Friday night, 29/09/06, was that a Gol plane had disappeared after hitting another aircraft. After colliding with a Legacy jet, a Boeing 737-800, which was going from Manaus to Brasília, crashed. The accident resulted in the death of 154 people and was the pivot of an unprecedented aviation crisis in the country's history.
Among the several victims was Nerisvan Dackson Canuto da Silva, company commissioner. He was admitted in February of the same year. He died in the accident, leaving a companion with whom he lived and shared his life for more than 10 years. Alexandre da Silva Wanderley, 33, widower of Nerisvan told his story exclusively to the website The Cape.
After the plane crash, Alexandre applied to the INSS for a pension due to the death of his partner. The request was granted. The man from Alagoas declared that in order to benefit, it was necessary to prove the couple's stable union. Joint checking account, plane tickets, photos and rental contracts for houses in São Paulo, Maceió and Fortaleza, where they lived, were the documents used "because unfortunately in Brazil it is still not allowed to get married", he says.
Nerisvan's father would also have requested pension for his son's death. "The family didn't want me to ask for a pension, they said they would ask for it and give me part of the money", reveals Alexandre who decided to "fight for his rights" and is still trying to receive compensation, as are family members of other victims.
In a note sent to the press on Wednesday, 27/09, the airline says that "correctly and fairly compensating families is respecting this commitment". The company's lawyers proposed agreements that guarantee beneficiaries income equal to that earned before the tragedy. To date, "32 adjustments have been closed, and 82 people have benefited." However, Alexandre does not know whether he will be compensated by the company.
The company will hold a prayer that will be held on the 29th, at 15:30 pm, at the Brasília Botanical Garden. Alexandre was upset with the company's stance. "I wasn't invited. I didn't get the tickets. Only his family did." The company states that family members of victims interested in participating in the event will be able to count on the necessary means to travel to the federal capital.
The company's press office informs that "there was an open compensation process, but the legal department cannot disclose details due to confidentiality rules." Gol did not want to disclose the name of the homosexual commissioner. "I understand that you are a website for the cause [GLS], but we cannot reveal the name. It would expose the family." said the advisor over the phone.
On the other hand, Alexandre says he feels that his union with Nerisvan was recognized even by the Public Ministry of Brasília. "They sent me all of Nerisvan's objects and belongings found after the fall."
